Dredging apparatus



March 12, 1929. 4 w. TWIFORD 1,705,428

DREDGING APPARATUS Filed De;- 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 12, 1929. w. H; TWIFORD I 1,705,428

DREDGING AFPARATUS I I I anon doc March 12, 1929. w. TWIFQRIDI- 1,705,428

DREDGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1926 6 sheets sheet 3 ,anoentoz I a? A ?ai:ented Mar. l2, i929.

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W LLIA I TW-IFOBD. 0 mesons... GlN A meas es PPARA U Application filed ll eeember 9, 1926; Seria1'1lbf15 3fi26.

thus make it possible to moreeasily convey such material upwardly through, the uptake pipe than has heretofore been possible inthe operation of suction heads now commonly of parts which will be more fully hereina used.

A further object of the invention is to install in, or as a part oi", the uptake pipe means for overcoming the tendency of the dredged sand, silt or other material to settle or lodge in the lower portion oisaid uptake pipe and thus make the latter more effective as a con-- veying means withthe usual suction force, thus avoiding occlusion of the uptake pipe andv interference with the usual suction force and maintaining a thorough clearance of the uptake pipe, with material advantagesin the dredging operation generally. I

A further-object oi? the invention is to construct a suetionhea'd for an uptake pipe which will give a greater area thereof relatively to the surface engaged.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve ci'edging apparatus ofthe class specified and compactly associate the specific active mechanism thereof in a pro tec-tive manner without impairing the ei'ii-- ciency of the several parts in performing their desirable functions.

Viith the foregoing and other Objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the preferred construction and arrangement tier described and claimed.

In the drawings: I I

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of an uptake pipe of a dredging apparatus and a suction head associated therewith embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a section. on an enlarged scale.

ig. 9. is a longitudinal sectional elevation s tes;

takentransversely through one of: the cutter disks and; a portion ofthe shaft; therefor. and particularly illustrating the contour of the cutter disk andthe manner of sec ring the same to the shaft; I r v Fig. (Sis a sideelevation o-fi a portion of-onc of the cutter disks, showing the contour or"- the shaft therethrough in transverse section; Fig. 7" is a longitudinal sectional-"view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the uptake pipe, and illustrating a novel form of'booster and the gearing connection with the 'main drive shaft for operating the same; and Fig.8 is-a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 7;.

I 'lhe numeral 5 designates an uptake 'pipe,- whleh may be of any' length, hav ng a suction head 6: at an angle to the tree terminal it thereof. This suction pipe may be used with any kind 0 t self-propelled hopper dredge or any type 01": movable dredge, Whetherselfpropelled or towed, and provided with the usual mud orsand hoppers built in the hull,

or built in sand or mud? scows attachedto the dredging plant toreceive the dredged material. The invention may al'so'b'e usedin connection with other dredging and engineering apparatus now. common-ly'used in this coun try. As will be understood, the uptake pipe 5 is mounted foradj ustment as-desired and inthe present instance the, driveishait't 7 running from the engine or motor installed 1nthe dredge or dredging apparatus is shown as supported on the upper portionof the uptake pipe by a shaft-enclosing tube 8 in which the :said shaft has free rotation, the tube being secured in fixed position on the intake pipe by brackets 9 of suitable character. The suction headis coupledor joined tothe free eX- -1 trel'nityof'the uptakepipe 5 by. a suitable tight joint construction 10 as shown on an enlarged scale by-FigsQ and 3, said suction head comprising a Y-pipe 11, the members 11? of which continue into'or form parts of sand boxes 12, each having a surrounding wall 13 of suitable dimensions. Each sandbox 12 has a longitudinally slotted bottom 14 with angularlydisposed openings or slots 15 there,

through and arranged in longitudinal sequence on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the box. Each oithe' openings. 15 is surrounded by a marginal frame 16; and all of the open ngs 15 and their vi'raines 16 have the same angular disposition with'relatijon to the outer and inner side walls of the sand boxes. Around the lower side or bottom of each box is a-flan'ge' sec-tiredfto the m; rgina-l 7. bottom 14c, as shown by Fig. 1, and by this means the lOOllllOHlll is firmly and reliably secured in applied position. Diagonally opposed in the inner, and outer side walls of each sand box at about a central position are bearings l9 and 20, the inner bearings 19 having portions 19 extending through the inner side wall of the box. These bearings are diagonally opposed, as ust noted, and at approximate- 1y right angles to the length of'the openings and marginal frames 16 thereof, to receive shafts 23 carrying sleeves 21. between which are mounted disk cutters 22 of a novel form of construction. The sleeves 21 enclose the solidshafts 23, which are angular in cross section and having the disk cutters secured thereto. The shafts 23 projectthrough the bearings 19 inwardly from the inner Wall 27 of'each box and are provided with yokes 24, which extend over and are disposed at right angles and pivoted to corresponding yokes 25 of laterally extending counter-shafts 26, which are driven from the'main drive shaft 7. Each sand box is a duplicate ofthe other in construction and these boxes are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the shaft tube or sleeve 8 and at equal distances from the latter. The shafts 23 extend throughthe outer side walls 27 of a gear box 28 located between the sand boxes 12, the inner side walls of the sand boxes forming the outer side walls of the gear box. EX- tending longitudinally through the center of the gear box 28 are two partitions 28 and 29, which are spaced apart a requisite distance, and against the one partition 28 central and outer spur or analogousgears 30 and 31 are mounted, the intermediate or central gear 30 being in the form of a drive gear and having a bevel gear 32 at its inner face mounted on a collar 33, to which a bearing collar is secured at an angle and carries a bevel pinion 35, the drive shaft 7 being secured to the bevel pinion and extending downwardly into the bearing collar 3i, so that rotation of the shaft 7 will cause a positive drive of the bevel gear 32 and the intermediate or central drive 'car 30. I The collar 33 is mounted on one of the (printer-shafts 26 between the gear and the partition 29-and keyed to said countershaft the other two c'ountenshafts 26 extending through and being keyed to the 31. The yokes 2 iand25 form a universal coupling between the shafts 23 and counter s afts 26. The gears 30 and 31 areheld in continual mesh and therefore transn'lit motionfrom the shaft 7to the shafts 23 and the discs 2 carried by' the latter. The edges of the discs 22 project through the openings 15 1n the bottoms '14 of the sand boxes and serve to loosen the hard l sand, clay or other material with which the 11 of the Y-pipe 11 into the uptake pipe 5 and discharged from the upper end of the latter as in ordinary dredging constructions. By angularly disposing the cutter disks 22 and causing the latter to rapidly rotate, the hardened sand, clay or other material is more effectively loosened or cut and drawn upwardly through the slotted bottoms 1 1 of the sand boxes. The inner terminal wall of the gear box intersects the arched. inner wall 37 of the members 11 of the Y-pipe 11 at a distance from the forward exti n'iity of the said wall 37, to strengthen the attachment and mounting of the gear box in place between the sand boxes. The gear box 28 also has a removable cover 38 for convenient ac cess to the gearing, and, where the shaft '4" extends upwardly through the rear central portion of the gear box, a suitable elongated hearing 39 for said shaft is provided as clearly shown by Fig. 2.

The foregoing details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, however, may be varied, as it is intended to use various mechanical devices for conveniently assembling the parts and also to modify the gearing as may be desired to best adapt the same for the purpose. 7

The construction of each disk cutter and its mode of attachment to its shaft'23 is shown particularly by Figs. 5 and 6. Each disk cut- ,ter is composed of two sections 22 and 22,

of equal dimensions, and formed with a central or inner, materially enlarged, hub section 40, which hub sections, when united, provide a strong and resistful reinforcement against breakage or fracture and also make it possible to secure the complete disk cutter to the shaft 23 by headed cross bolts 41 with nutted ends bearing against annular shoulders %2, the said headed and nutted bolts passing transversely of the hub sections 40 and the shaft 23, as shown by Fig. 5, to

positivoly yet removably secure each disk to its shaft. From the center of the enlarged hub sections 40 the disk cutter is reduced and gradually tapered into a sharp cutting. edge or blade 43, which is preferably of scaploped contour as shown by Fig. 6 and indicated by Fig. i, to render the disk cutters ill) more effective in their operation of loosening the hardened sand or like material with which they may engage. In ZLCGOl'flttllCO with the present arrangement, two of the disk cutters are associated witheach shaft 23 and driven by the latter, and while a sand box with this equipment is ample for all practical services, it will be understood that the number of disk cutters may be increased as desired. The sleeves 21 between the disk cutters vary in length inaccordance with the tional hubs 40 and bearings 19 and 20. The sleeves 21 which extend into the bearings 19 and 20 have at their ends which bear against distance between the cutters and the secshaft 23 and its complement of disk cutters.

This manner of applying the disk cutters to the shafts 23 n'iakes it possible to clean the cutters and maintain them in practical operating' condition, and also to separate the sections 22 and 22 of each d i'skcu-tter from its shaft so that t is reduced edge or blade 7 43 may be re:

l y sl'iarpened' when required. The impr d dredging a p -"atus also in eludes-whats termed a boos i or-means for keeping the lower, portion or extremity of the uptake pipe clean, which means comprises a screw mounted at the center of the bottom wall of said pipe and mounted on a lono'it-udinal ly-disposed shaft The screw is torn ied' of a spiral blade 48, so disposed as to approximately contact with the bottom portion of the uptake pipe and prevent sediment from accumulating at this point in the, uptake pipe during the suction operation. The shaft l7 is mounted at one end in a suitable bearing 49 supported in the uptake pipe 5 and at the opposite or upper end extends through a gear bO-X 50 located in the lower portion of the uptake pipe. The end of the shaftwithin the gear box is provided with a beveled pinion 5l,held in continual mesh with a smaller similar pinion 52 on the lower end of. a transmitting shaft 53 enclosed within a tubular casing; 5% extending through the uptake pipe and also through the bottom of an exterior gear box 55 on the upper portion I of the uptake pipe directly opposite the gear box 50. The gear box 55 intersects the sleeve or tubular covering 8 for the shaft 7, and on the shaft 7 within the said gear box 55 a beveled pinion5=3 which is held in continual mesh with a pinion 5'? on the upper end of the shaft a3, as clearly shown by Fig, I

'7. The shaft 4:? with its screw lade 48 is covered by a protective wire screen 48* of suitable mesh and is regularly rotated from the shaft 2 by the mechanism explained and the removal by the screw blade 48 of the central portion of any matter that may tend to accumulate in the uptake 5 will loosen the remaining portions above and below said blade suiticiently to be influenced by the suction force and such loosened material will be carried up through the uptake pipe and discharged with the other material passing through the said pipe.

material loosened Fromtheforegoingtheoperation of the improved dredging apparatus will be readily unuel -through the slot-ted bottoms f4; ofthe sand 7 boxes 12 by way of the members 11 of'the Y- pipelij through the Lpt'ake pipe 5- in regular quantities in accordance with the amount of the disk cutters 22; The booster or cleaning ap-paratusis at the same as hereinlie'fore noted. r I

it will he seen that all ofthe parts of the gearing and drive shaft are enclosed andrendered water-tight, that the box is also positioned so as to add materially to the strengtli an successful operation of'the sand boxes, and that the bottom of the said-gear mod. When the uptake pipe is loworcd so effect contact of't he slotted, bottoms A of the-sand boxes 12 with thebed of material desired to be loosened and sucept motion to prevent aceu'mi-ilati o-n the bottom of the uptake pipe,

box between the sand boxes is closed as indicated at 28 so as to protect the gearing. herethe bearingbrackets l9'are located,

'moistu-re prevented from seepingthrough the joints into the coupled shafts 23 and gear shafts 26, and it will be understood, if neces-- sary, the operating parts may be further protected by such devices as may be expedient to accomplish the end sought. The 1mproved structure, including the suction head with the critters and endless booster or cleaninn device 1n the uptake pipe, may be assoclated with uptake pipes I1OW-111 use without modifying to any material extent the con-' struction of the latter. Theapparatus as a whole may also be used in connection with any form of seagoing or self-propelled hopper dredge or any type of movable dredge, I and the suction head and booster attachment will generally increase theefficiency of a dredgin plant Withoutany changes of the pumps and the pumping engines.

What is claimed as new is 1. A dredging apparatus of the class specilied, comprising an uptake pipe and a suction head carried thereby, said suction head having rotary means on opposite sides of the center thereof for loosening the material to be dredged, enclosures for said rotary means in communication with the uptake pipe, mechanism including gears'and shafts located at the center of the head and extending outwardly in opposite directions and connected for rotation of the said cutter, disks, and a drive shaft carried by theuptake pipe and operatively associatedv with the said gears.

2. In a dredging apparatus, an uptake pipe having a suction head, cutter disks rotatably mounted in said head, the said disks being made in two sections having enlarged hubs and provided with tapered cutting members, said hubs having recesses in their opposite ends, a shaft extending through the hubs and removably secured to the latter, and sleeves mounted over the said shafts and having their inner ends extending into the recesses at the opposite ends of the hubs, and packings in said recesses forming tight joints between said sleeves and said hubs.

. 8. A dredging apparatus comprising a suction head, partitions extending longitudinally of said suction head and dividing said head into a pair of sand boxes and an intermediate box, an uptake pipe connected to said suction head and communicating with said sand boxes, said gear box having a closed bottom, rotatable shafts extending through said partitions transversely of said sand boxes, disc-like cutters secured to each of said shafts and projecting beyond the lower ends of said sand boxes, gears rotatable in said gear box on axes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said gear box, universal joint connections in said gear box between each of said gears and one of the shafts in each of said sand boxes, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally of said uptake pipe and into said gear box, and driving means longitudinal axis of the sand box in which it rotates.

5. A dredging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the transverse shafts rotates on an axis at an acute angleto the longitudinal axis of the sand box in which it rotates, and wherein each sand box has a bottom provided with a plurality of openings below and at right angles to the axes of rotation of the transverse shafts and through each of which openings one of the rotatable cutters projects.

6. A dredging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the transverse shafts rotates on an axis at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the sand box in which it rotates, and wherein each sand box has a bottom provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots and also with a plurality of openings-below and at right angles to the axes of rotation of the transverse shafts and through each of which latter openings one of the rotatable cutters projects.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. rwiroan 

